Liverpool news: John Aldridge has urged his former team to handle the pressure (Pic: GETTY)

John Barnes has dismissed claims Liverpool are struggling with the pressure of the title race and Aldridge believes the weight of expectation at Anfield is less than when he played for the club.

"There is ridiculous hype because it is Liverpool and it's all these years we haven't won the Premier League," he said.

"There is a lot of interest worldwide, with the fan base Liverpool have, but I can't believe there is so much talk with January only just finished - it's crazy to be quite honest.

"They are doing all right at the moment: they had a little bit of a blip and have a few injuries to contend with. You talk about pressure now, we had pressure every season - 60s, 70s, 80s - every season to win it.

Liverpool won league titles for fun in the 70s and 80s (Pic: GETTY)

“There is ridiculous hype because it is Liverpool”

John Aldridge

"The pressure was on the team to do the business and we did an awful lot. Season-in, season-out. Retaining it. That was a different type of pressure.

"We have always had expectations, we expected it every single season: silverware, silverware, silverware. For us not to win a cup in a season was ridiculous because the standards were raised.

"You have to keep on winning, although it's virtually impossible to win your last 12 games or so but it's not improbable where City are and where Liverpool have been this season.

"City raised the bar massively last season, Liverpool have raised their bar and are keeping up with them at the moment."